Is it true that everyone on this planet is related?

Answer 1

Large-scale genetic research have proved that mankind originated from a very small group of people. Common ancestors have been discovered for the entire population of many billions inhabiting all five continents of the Earth: these are two thousand primeval hunters-gatherers who used to live in Africa more than 100,000 years ago. New data has been also obtained about the rates and directions of human beings’ prehistoric evolution, and the way the continents got inhabited.

The researchers have applied the recent achievements of molecular-biological technology which allow to concurrently analyze multiple DNA characteristics of a person. 377 DNA characteristics (markers) of the currently living nations from all the continents - 52 populations from Africa, Europe, Middle, Central and Eastern Asia, Oceania and America - were studied.

Having processed the accumulated data, the researchers came to the conclusion that all people on the Earth had originated from a small group of ancestors – their quantity not exceeding 2 thousand people.

Excerpts from their study:
“...the number of people in major territories of settlements, including Africa, was relatively small and probably underwent significant fluctuations – a lot of people died due to the limitations in food and severe living conditions. However, about 35 thousand years ago, steady growth began in the quantity of African “farmer” populations, and ten thousand years later, quantity of populations started to grow in Eurasia.

It is known that at that time in particular our ancestors started to use new technologies – they produced more sophisticated stone and bone tools. The tribes succeeded in procuring more food and in coping with unfavorable conditions - bad weather, predators. As a result, more children survived in each generation, and the quantity of people on the planet grew up continuously – thanks to achievement of the mind, the human species was winning the “evolutionary race”. It is interesting to note that the populations of hunters-gatherers of Africa, aboriginals of Oceania and American Indians do not have “DNA-signals” of quantity growth. Indeed, these groups of people remained at the level of previous primitive technologies and due to that they can only support their quantity at the minimum level, which, as thousands of years ago, varies significantly from generation to generation, depending on weather conditions, successful hunting and other “favors of gods”.

However, maybe the most important finding of the research is as follows. All of us, people of the Earth, are genetic brothers and sisters: if we are not “cousins from Adam and Eve, at least we descended from the children of the same tribe.

Answer 2

Years ago (20 or more) I heard of a story that some professor with a large grant had determined that no one on earth today is any more distantly related than 22nd cousin. I alsways looked at that story as somewhat more apocryphal than literally true.

However, modern DNA research and the Human Genome Project is confirming that we are, indeed, more related than not! Although relations beyond about 5th cousin cannot be reliably traced, that is more a failure of our record-keeping than of genetics.

So I'd have to say that, yes, we are related.

Kinda makes you want to re-think war, doesn't it, cousin?

Answer 3

That reality is true, but depending on whether you believe in the Biblical creation or evolution, is whether you believe it as the truth. According to Scripture and what all christians believe, we all started with Adam and Eve who were created in the Garden of Eden by God. Until the Tower of Babel, everyone up until that time spoke the same language but because of Adam's sin in the garden, they were now all in one accord or unity only in a sinful state due to Adam's disobedience to God, instead of in one accord or unity in a sinless state which would have been the case if he hadn't been disobedient. The people were all building a tower to heaven and with their unity abilities, they would have accomplished it so to prevent that from happening, God struck them all with confusion and that is when all the languages of the different people started. They all had different languages now and couldn't understand each other because everyone was babbling in a different tongue. That is how the tower became know as the Tower of Babel. Scripture says they each went in their own directions. Now we have lots of people with lots of languages due to that, but if we could trace our roots all the way back, we would go all the way back to Noah and his family who were the only remaining living beings on the planet after the great flood. And Noah could trace his roots all the way back to Adam and Eve.

Answer 4

Well for obvious reasons we cannot 100% prove that, but the likelihood is extremely high that we are all related. It's not liable to be a close relationship, mind you. Like f0r instance, you may be my 346,890th cousin, once removed.

Answer 5

Even if you don't believe we all came from Adam and Eve, we are all related or very closely related. There was this one volcano that went off and only left about a couple hundred people, like 900, and we are all their descendants. So we are all very closely genetically related.

Answer 6

Everybody related, are you mad ? Are you trying to insinuate that I may have American relatives???? if this was the 19th Century I would call you out in a field of honour and shoot bits off you. I am 100% English, (not British) I can trace my ancestry back to Ug the caveman who lived in Yorkshire.

Answer 7

Well if you're a Christian, then yes everyone is! But not too closely. But think about it, during the great flood God destroyed everyone but Noah and his family, so we must have came from them, right?

Answer 8

to know if all ant is related or not itll give u and me a clue if we are related also but remember this the world was once stick together with all the countries then in time it get aparts does this tell u something

Answer 9

If you believe in the biblical version of the creation of the world, versus the theory of evolution, then yeah, since everybody started off as Adam and Eve's children.

Scientifically speaking, no.

Answer 10

Very loosely speaking, yes. Scientists have traced the DNA of a woman in prehistoric Africa to every living human on earth, making us all "kin". Now, isn't it a shame the family has to fight so much?
Try these websites:
http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2007/07/genographic200707
http://press.princeton.edu/releases/m7442.html
http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/2006/07/71298